trailer tire replacement--brand recommendation?

[Lawdog]

Howdy all. I am noticing some pretty significant wear on my trailer tires. They were stock to the trailer and have been on the road since August 2008. They are Carlisle Sport Trails 4.80-12. From a little research, I'm finding that 2-3 years seems pretty normal life for trailer tires. This was a surprise to me, but all the tire shops are saying the small diameter means they essentially turn more than your truck tire does, in effect accelerating their miles and running hot.

Anyway, my best local options are replacing them with a similar Carlisle tire for about $40 each or a Deestone D901 for about $23 each. Both are a 6 ply tire. I am also seeing some unhappiness with the Carlisle tires out there--premature end of life, etc, so I'm not eager to go down that road again. The Deestone appears to be a Thailand made product which I'd never previsouly heard of, but one tire shop says are adequate for this use (note--he does sell a more expensive alternate).

Any opinions? I figure I will put 4500 to 5000 miles a year on them.

Thanks.

 

[Quackrstackr]

I have the same model of Carlisle on my trailer, only a larger size.

Mine are wearing horribly also, so I will have to go down this road before long myself. My tread is doing some strange dishing on me but I don't know if it is trailer related or like you say, crummy tires. I probably only put about 1,500 miles per year on my trailer since I live so close to the lake so this set might have 3k miles on them, but I doubt it.

I've seen the online stuff about how bad Carlisles have become. They used to be a decent trailer tire that I could get several years out of. They would always dry rot on me before I ever had any wear problems.

 

[nathanielrthomas]

I figure I will put 4500 to 5000 miles a year on them.

I have the same 4.80x12 (6 ply) on my boat trailer and I had to put new ones on it after 1500 miles. The tires shop said it really wasnt the mileage as much as the speed I was running. I made a few trips from memphis to alabama running about 70mph. He said if your truck tires are spinning at 70mph, the the trailer tires are going about 110mph. The heat at those speeds is what wore them out so fast. Almost all trailer tires are only rated up to 55mph.

He told me if I was gonna be driving long distances or high speeds, that I should upgrade to a 13" car rim and tire to prevent premature wear. If youre gonna put that many miles a year, I would consider stepping up to 13". Im about to put my third set of tires on mine, and if I have the money, Im gonna go ahead and upgrade to the 13", but my problem is I gotta have the fenders redone.

Simply put, the little 12" trailer tires are not suitable for highway speeds or high mileage.. Just something to think about before you go investing into tires that you might have to replace all the time. Its getting expensive for me.

 

[nathanielrthomas]

Also if you do decide to get the 13", you can get a real tire with a reputable name like goodyear, michelin, etc. I hate buying no-name crap from god knows where with no reputation. My dad put the 13" tires on his a few years ago and he said he would never go back to the 12".

 

[Quackrstackr]

Passenger car tires may not have the load rating that trailer tires do, so be aware of that. Trailer tires can have a rubber compound that is more suited for being parked and in the weather for extended periods to prevent dry rot, also.

 

[fish devil]

:twisted: Are you running max reccommended air pressure? Its very common to have irregular tire wear due to incorrect tire pressure. A bent axle will also cause wear. Make sure you also get the proper "load" range tires that is determined by the weight of your boat. Towmaster makes a quality brand for boat trailers.

 

[Lawdog]

:twisted: Are you running max reccommended air pressure? Its very common to have irregular tire wear due to incorrect tire pressure. A bent axle will also cause wear. Make sure you also get the proper "load" range tires that is determined by the weight of your boat. Towmaster makes a quality brand for boat trailers.

Nope! Looks like the bad tire was pretty underinflated and the other was about 55 psi. These are supposed to be at 60 and the tire shop said one was good for a spare and the other was probably not long for the road. He emphasized the same thing: check them often for air pressure. He said interstate speeds are fine on these tires at proper pressures, but they'll wear poorly at 30 psi where my left one was. Lesson learned. I think I will get the Carlisle ones from this shop as I am a repeat customer and I trust them.

I appreciate all the input guys and will report back. Any advice on spare mounting? Horizontal on tongue looks like my choice b/c I have pretty tight area at the bow (flat front).

 

[dyeguy1212]

:twisted: Are you running max reccommended air pressure? Its very common to have irregular tire wear due to incorrect tire pressure. A bent axle will also cause wear. Make sure you also get the proper "load" range tires that is determined by the weight of your boat. Towmaster makes a quality brand for boat trailers.

Nope! Looks like the bad tire was pretty underinflated and the other was about 55 psi. These are supposed to be at 60 and the tire shop said one was good for a spare and the other was probably not long for the road. He emphasized the same thing: check them often for air pressure. He said interstate speeds are fine on these tires at proper pressures, but they'll wear poorly at 30 psi where my left one was. Lesson learned. I think I will get the Carlisle ones from this shop as I am a repeat customer and I trust them.

I appreciate all the input guys and will report back. Any advice on spare mounting? Horizontal on tongue looks like my choice b/c I have pretty tight area at the bow (flat front).

I put mine vertical to make the balancing act a little easier when the DNR ramps aren't put in yet. It's all personal preference.